Perspectives of researchers with lived experience in implementation science research: Opportunities to close the research-to-practice gap in substance use systems of care.

Implementation science usually involves and prioritizes community collaboration; however, there are often barriers to community collaboration because the community may not trust researcher intentions or there might be challenges to identifying shared language. Researchers who have lived experience with substance use disorders might be able to make community collaborations between researchers and community members easier through shared knowledge of both research and lived experience. The involvement of researchers with lived experience may also help community-based organizations find the best ways to use evidence-based practices. We describe ways that the intentional involvement of researchers with lived experience may improve implementation outcomes and ultimately improve the services received and experiences of community members.